Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
Encyclopedia
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen is a 2004 American Teen
musical
comedy film
directed by Sara Sugarman
and produced by Robert Shapiro
and Matthew Hart
for Walt Disney Pictures
. It stars Lindsay Lohan
as an aspiring teenage actress whose family moves from New York City to New Jersey, Adam Garcia
as her favorite rock musician, Glenne Headly
as her mother, and Alison Pill
as her best friend, with a guest appearance from Lohan's friend Craig. The screenplay was written by Dyan Sheldon
and Gail Parent
and is based on the novel of the same name
by Dyan Sheldon
.
It was released in late February 2004 opening with negative feedback from critics, but reached number two in the United States
box office behind Adam Sandler
and Drew Barrymore
's 50 First Dates
. It was released July 20, 2004 on VHS and DVD.
), a 15-year-old girl who grew up in New York City
and wants desperately to be a famous Broadway
actress. Lola narrates the story. Much to her chagrin, she moves with her family to the suburbs of Dellwood, New Jersey
, but she confidently tells the audience "A legend is about to be born. That legend would be me."
At school, Lola makes friends with an unpopular girl named Ella Gerard (Alison Pill
), who shares her love for the rock band Sidarthur. Lola idolizes the band's lead singer Stu Wolff (Adam Garcia
). She also meets Sam, a cute boy who takes a liking to her, and makes enemies with Carla Santini (Megan Fox
), the most popular girl in school.
When Lola auditions for the school play, a modernized musical version of Pygmalion
called "Eliza Rocks", she is chosen over Carla to play Eliza, and Carla promises to make her life miserable. Lola also beats Carla on a dancing video game at an arcade, where Carla reveals that she has tickets to the farewell concert of Sidarthar, who recently decided to break up. Afraid of being one-upped by Carla, Lola falsely claims that she and Ella have tickets too. She loses her chance to buy tickets and new clothes when her mother takes away her allowance, and the concert is sold out by the time she persuades Ella to pay for the tickets. But Lola explains that they can buy tickets from a scalper
, and she gets Sam to sneak Eliza's dress out of the costume room for her to wear at the concert. This is where the plotline from "Hello Dolly!" picks up speed in the movie.
On the night of the concert, Lola and Ella take a train to New York City, but Lola loses the money for the tickets and her plan to sneak into the concert doesn't work. Lola and Ella finally give up and walk through the city to Stu's after-show party. When they get there, Stu stumbles drunkenly out of the building and passes out in an alley. The two girls take him to a diner to sober him up, but he gets in trouble and they end up at a police station, where Lola gives her father's New York City address. The "Hello Dolly!" plotline continues unabatedly and unabashedly.
At this point, Lola's dishonesty becomes a problem. When she met Ella, she tried to impress her by telling her a dramatic story about her father dying years earlier. Ella highly values honesty, so she becomes infuriated when she discovers that Lola's story was a lie. After Lola's father arrives and they explain what happened, Stu gratefully takes them all back to the party, where Ella forgives Lola for lying and the two girls see Carla, who sees them as well and looks upset. Lola talks with Stu about his work, but is disappointed to discover that he is a drunk.
Back at school, Carla humiliates Lola by denying that she saw Lola or Ella at the party and calling Lola a liar. None of the other students believe Lola's story about being arrested with Stu and leaving her necklace at his house.
Afterward, Lola goes home, depressed, and refuses to perform in the play, but she is spurred on by Ella's encouragement and arrives backstage just in time to prevent Carla from taking over her part. As she is about to go on stage, her mother wishes her good luck and finally calls her by her nickname "Lola". The modernist interpretation of "My Fair Lady" ("Eliza Rocks") ensues, providing the moviegoer with a play-within-a play a la "Hamlet". After a great performance that brings a standing ovation, the cast goes to an after-party at Carla's house, where Stu Wolff arrives to see Lola. Carla tries to save herself from humiliation by saying he is there to see her, but is proved wrong when Stu gives Lola her necklace in front of everyone. As Carla's lies become apparent, she backs away from the crowd on the verge of tears and falls into a fountain, greeted by everyone's laughter. In a conciliatory gesture, Lola helps her up, and Carla accepts defeat. After dancing with Stu, Lola dances with Sam and they eventually share a kiss, ending the film.
of $15,000,000, filming began on June 4 and commenced on July 13. Behind the camera was Welsh director, Sara Sugarman
, who
was known for directing the television film, Very Annie Mary
. While taking place in New Jersey, the film was filmed
in Toronto
and Oakville, Ontario
, Canada
. Scenes at Dellwood High School were filmed at King City Secondary School
in King City
, Ontario
and Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute
in Scarborough
, Ontario
, Canada
. Mall scenes were filmed at Erin Mills Town Centre
in Mississauga, Ontario
, Canada
. It was also filmed on-location for the scenes in New York City, New York. Scenes involving the train station were filmed at the Watchung Avenue Train Station in Montclair, New Jersey
on New Jersey Transit
's Montclair-Boonton Line
.
. After Duff backed out of the film, Freaky Friday
s Lindsay Lohan was cast as Lola. "The part that stuck out to me most about the story was how different Lola is," says Lohan. "She's really interesting. As outgoing as she is, she keeps a lot in and I think it's really good to see how her character develops throughout the story." Producer Robert Shapiro
says, "Lindsay Lohan is absolutely a 500-watt bulb. She's delightful to watch, she's a typical teenager, and she's very wise, and all of that comes across in the part of Lola."
Alison Pill
, who was known for starring in the Judy Garland
-biopic Me and My Shadows
, was cast as Lola's best friend, Ella Girard. "I think the attraction to play Ella is she changes so completely and goes through this huge transformation from being this girl who's terrified of being herself, and disappointing her parents, and disappointing their expectations, and at the end she says, 'I've just decided to be who I am.'" An unknown at the time, Megan Fox
was cast as Carla Santini, Lola's nemesis (Brittany Gray
played Fox's dance double). Eli Marienthal
was cast as Sam, Lola's interest in high school and her friend. Marianthel had previously starred in Disney's film, The Country Bears. Glenne Headley was cast as Lola's mother, Karen, while Carol Kane
was cast as Miss Baggoli, who directs the school's play, Eliza Rocks. Tom McCamus
appears as Lola's father, Calum, who is divorced from her mother and lives in New York City.
, the film received an average 13% overall approval rating. Dennis Harvey of Variety
magazine commented in his review that "Based on Dyan Sheldon
's popular youth fiction, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen emerges a strained showcase for up-and-comer Lindsay Lohan
as a sophisticated Big Apple
teen unhappily relocated to New Jersey
. Minimally funny comedy feels like a Disney Channel
pic that got boosted to theatrical after Lohan scored a hit opposite Jamie Lee Curtis
in the Freaky Friday
remake. Nonetheless, it should have a lock on the 7- to 12-year-old female demo for a couple weekends before finding longer tube/tape shelf life." Ultimate Disney
reviewed the DVD
saying that it "doesn't garner a recommendation as a film, and its DVD special features are as breezy and shallow as the movie itself. Lindsay Lohan fans and teenage girls are bound to be the most interested, and they might well enjoy it on the surface as light entertainment. But for others, one viewing may be more than enough."
's 50 First Dates
. The film did fairly at the box office, grossing $29 million domestically and $33 million worldwide.
and features Lindsay Lohan
, Lillix
, Simple Plan
, and others various artists.
Teen film
Teen films is a film genre targeted at teenagers and young adults in which the plot is based upon the special interests of teenagers, such as coming of age, first love, rebellion, conflict with parents, teen angst, and alienation...
musical
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Sara Sugarman
Sara Sugarman
Sara Sugarman is a Welsh actress and film director whose work includes Disney's Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen and Very Annie Mary...
and produced by Robert Shapiro
Robert Shapiro
Robert Leslie Shapiro is an American civil litigator and senior partner in the Los Angeles-based law firm Glaser Weil Fink Jacobs Howard Avchen & Shapiro, LLP. Shapiro is most recognized for being part of the defense team which successfully defended O.J. Simpson in 1995 from the charges that he...
and Matthew Hart
Matthew Hart
Matthew Norman Hart is a New Zealand cricketer. Hart, a left-arm orthodox spinner, played in 14 Tests between 1994 and 1996, claiming 29 wickets including one five-wicket haul against South Africa...
for Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
. It stars Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
as an aspiring teenage actress whose family moves from New York City to New Jersey, Adam Garcia
Adam Garcia
Adam Garcia is an Australian actor and tap dancer of partial Colombian descent .-Career:...
as her favorite rock musician, Glenne Headly
Glenne Headly
Glenne Aimee Headly is an American actress of film, stage and television.-Early life:Glenne Headly was born in New London, Connecticut and her first years were spent living under the care of her mother in San Francisco and her maternal grandmother in Pennsylvania...
as her mother, and Alison Pill
Alison Pill
Alison Courtney Pill is a Canadian actress best known from her roles in Milk, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Midnight in Paris.-Life and career:...
as her best friend, with a guest appearance from Lohan's friend Craig. The screenplay was written by Dyan Sheldon
Dyan Sheldon
Dyan Sheldon is an American novelist, who has written for adults, children and young adults. Originally from Brooklyn, she resides in London and has written a number of young adult novels as well as many picture books in a variety of genres. Her young adult science-fiction novel Perfect was...
and Gail Parent
Gail Parent
Gail Parent is an American television and screenwriter, television producer, and author.Parent's writing career began with a 1971 episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show...
and is based on the novel of the same name
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (novel)
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen is a young adult novel by Dyan Sheldon. Originally released in 1999 through Candlewick Press, it was later turned into a Disney motion picture of the same name in 2004 starring Lindsay Lohan. A sequel, My Perfect Life, was released in 2002.-Plot summary:Mary...
by Dyan Sheldon
Dyan Sheldon
Dyan Sheldon is an American novelist, who has written for adults, children and young adults. Originally from Brooklyn, she resides in London and has written a number of young adult novels as well as many picture books in a variety of genres. Her young adult science-fiction novel Perfect was...
.
It was released in late February 2004 opening with negative feedback from critics, but reached number two in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
box office behind Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
and Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
's 50 First Dates
50 First Dates
50 First Dates is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Segal and written by George Wing. The film stars Adam Sandler as a woman-chasing veterinarian and Drew Barrymore as an amnesiac, along with Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Lusia Strus, Blake Clark, and Dan Aykroyd.Most of the film...
. It was released July 20, 2004 on VHS and DVD.
Plot
The film is about Mary "Lola" Cep (Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
), a 15-year-old girl who grew up in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and wants desperately to be a famous Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
actress. Lola narrates the story. Much to her chagrin, she moves with her family to the suburbs of Dellwood, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, but she confidently tells the audience "A legend is about to be born. That legend would be me."
At school, Lola makes friends with an unpopular girl named Ella Gerard (Alison Pill
Alison Pill
Alison Courtney Pill is a Canadian actress best known from her roles in Milk, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Midnight in Paris.-Life and career:...
), who shares her love for the rock band Sidarthur. Lola idolizes the band's lead singer Stu Wolff (Adam Garcia
Adam Garcia
Adam Garcia is an Australian actor and tap dancer of partial Colombian descent .-Career:...
). She also meets Sam, a cute boy who takes a liking to her, and makes enemies with Carla Santini (Megan Fox
Megan Fox
Megan Denise Fox is an American actress and model. She began her acting career in 2001 with several minor television and film roles, and played a regular role on Hope & Faith. In 2004, she launched her film career with a role in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen...
), the most popular girl in school.
When Lola auditions for the school play, a modernized musical version of Pygmalion
Pygmalion (play)
Pygmalion: A Romance in Five Acts is a play by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. Professor of phonetics Henry Higgins makes a bet that he can train a bedraggled Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, to pass for a duchess at an ambassador's garden party by teaching her to assume a veneer of...
called "Eliza Rocks", she is chosen over Carla to play Eliza, and Carla promises to make her life miserable. Lola also beats Carla on a dancing video game at an arcade, where Carla reveals that she has tickets to the farewell concert of Sidarthar, who recently decided to break up. Afraid of being one-upped by Carla, Lola falsely claims that she and Ella have tickets too. She loses her chance to buy tickets and new clothes when her mother takes away her allowance, and the concert is sold out by the time she persuades Ella to pay for the tickets. But Lola explains that they can buy tickets from a scalper
Ticket resale
Ticket resale is the act of reselling tickets for admission to events. Tickets are bought from licensed sellers and are then sold for a price determined by the individual or company in possession of the tickets. Tickets sold through secondary sources may be sold for less or more than their face...
, and she gets Sam to sneak Eliza's dress out of the costume room for her to wear at the concert. This is where the plotline from "Hello Dolly!" picks up speed in the movie.
On the night of the concert, Lola and Ella take a train to New York City, but Lola loses the money for the tickets and her plan to sneak into the concert doesn't work. Lola and Ella finally give up and walk through the city to Stu's after-show party. When they get there, Stu stumbles drunkenly out of the building and passes out in an alley. The two girls take him to a diner to sober him up, but he gets in trouble and they end up at a police station, where Lola gives her father's New York City address. The "Hello Dolly!" plotline continues unabatedly and unabashedly.
At this point, Lola's dishonesty becomes a problem. When she met Ella, she tried to impress her by telling her a dramatic story about her father dying years earlier. Ella highly values honesty, so she becomes infuriated when she discovers that Lola's story was a lie. After Lola's father arrives and they explain what happened, Stu gratefully takes them all back to the party, where Ella forgives Lola for lying and the two girls see Carla, who sees them as well and looks upset. Lola talks with Stu about his work, but is disappointed to discover that he is a drunk.
Back at school, Carla humiliates Lola by denying that she saw Lola or Ella at the party and calling Lola a liar. None of the other students believe Lola's story about being arrested with Stu and leaving her necklace at his house.
Afterward, Lola goes home, depressed, and refuses to perform in the play, but she is spurred on by Ella's encouragement and arrives backstage just in time to prevent Carla from taking over her part. As she is about to go on stage, her mother wishes her good luck and finally calls her by her nickname "Lola". The modernist interpretation of "My Fair Lady" ("Eliza Rocks") ensues, providing the moviegoer with a play-within-a play a la "Hamlet". After a great performance that brings a standing ovation, the cast goes to an after-party at Carla's house, where Stu Wolff arrives to see Lola. Carla tries to save herself from humiliation by saying he is there to see her, but is proved wrong when Stu gives Lola her necklace in front of everyone. As Carla's lies become apparent, she backs away from the crowd on the verge of tears and falls into a fountain, greeted by everyone's laughter. In a conciliatory gesture, Lola helps her up, and Carla accepts defeat. After dancing with Stu, Lola dances with Sam and they eventually share a kiss, ending the film.
Cast
- Lindsay LohanLindsay LohanLindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
as Mary Elizabeth "Lola Steppe" Cep - Alison PillAlison PillAlison Courtney Pill is a Canadian actress best known from her roles in Milk, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Midnight in Paris.-Life and career:...
as Ella Gerard - Adam GarciaAdam GarciaAdam Garcia is an Australian actor and tap dancer of partial Colombian descent .-Career:...
as Stuart 'Stu' Wolff - Eli MarienthalEli MarienthalEli David Marienthal is an American former child actor.-Personal life:Marienthal was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Marienthal, who manufactures bags made of organically grown cotton, and Joseph Cross, a journalist. Marienthal is Jewish and has two siblings, actors Harley Cross...
as Sam - Glenne HeadlyGlenne HeadlyGlenne Aimee Headly is an American actress of film, stage and television.-Early life:Glenne Headly was born in New London, Connecticut and her first years were spent living under the care of her mother in San Francisco and her maternal grandmother in Pennsylvania...
as Karen Cep - Carol KaneCarol KaneCarolyn Laurie "Carol" Kane is an American actress. Kane has worked on the stage, on the screen and in television. She appeared on the television series Taxi in the early 1980s, as the wife of the character played by Andy Kaufman. She received two Emmy Awards for her work...
as Miss Baggoli - Sheila McCarthySheila McCarthySheila McCarthy is a Canadian film, stage, television actress, and singer. She is one of the most honoured actors in Canada, having won two Genie Awards , two Gemini Awards , and two Dora Awards among multiple nominations. As of 2007, she can be seen on the Canadian television series Little...
as Mrs. Gerard - Megan FoxMegan FoxMegan Denise Fox is an American actress and model. She began her acting career in 2001 with several minor television and film roles, and played a regular role on Hope & Faith. In 2004, she launched her film career with a role in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen...
as Carla Santini - Tom McCamusTom McCamusTom McCamus is an award-winning Canadian film and theatre actor who is most widely known for his work on the science-fiction television show Mutant X....
as Calum Cep - Alison Sealy-SmithAlison Sealy-SmithAlison Sealy-Smith is a Canadian actress, born and raised in Barbados.Sealy-Smith attended Mount Allison University where she studied psychology on a scholarship. She is the founding director of Obsidian Theatre, a company that specializes in Black Canadian drama...
as Sgt. Rose - Ashley LeggatAshley LeggatAshley Margaret Anne Leggat is a Canadian actress, singer, and dancer. She is known for her roles as Casey McDonald in Life with Derek and Marcia in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.-Career:...
as Marcia - Barbara MamaboloBarbara MamaboloBarbara Mamabolo is a Canadian actress. Since 1998, she has amassed an extensive list of theatre and television credits. She was born in Toronto, Ontario....
as Robin - Maggie Oskam as Paige
- Rachael Oskam as Paula
- Dina LohanDina LohanDonata "Dina" Lohan is a television personality and occasional actress who rose to fame as the mother and manager of actress/pop singer Lindsay Lohan, and Lindsay's younger sister Ali Lohan, with whom Dina co-starred in the reality show Living Lohan.-Family and marriage:Lohan was born and raised...
as Walking Woman on Street (uncredited)
Filming
Pre-production began on May 5, 2003, beginning with choreography rehearsals and make-up tests. Produced on a budgetof $15,000,000, filming began on June 4 and commenced on July 13. Behind the camera was Welsh director, Sara Sugarman
Sara Sugarman
Sara Sugarman is a Welsh actress and film director whose work includes Disney's Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen and Very Annie Mary...
, who
was known for directing the television film, Very Annie Mary
Very Annie Mary
Very Annie Mary is a 2001 comedy film and musical from the United Kingdom, written and directed by Sara Sugarman and starring Rachel Griffiths and Jonathan Pryce. It is a coming-of-age tale, set in south Wales, about a woman in her 30s who lives with her verbally abusive father...
. While taking place in New Jersey, the film was filmed
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Oakville, Ontario
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Scenes at Dellwood High School were filmed at King City Secondary School
King City Secondary School
King City Secondary School, or KCSS, is a secondary education facility in King City, Ontario, Canada. It is a secular public school administered by the York Region District School Board. The school is located at 2001 King Road, and the current principal is Teresa Micone.- Campus :KCSS is located...
in King City
King City, Ontario
King City is an affluent, unincorporated village in King Township, Ontario, Canada, located just north of Toronto. It is the largest community in King Township, with 1,629 dwellings and a population of 4,902.-History:...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute
Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute
Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute is a high school located in Scarborough, a part of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It operates under the Toronto District School Board...
in Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Mall scenes were filmed at Erin Mills Town Centre
Erin Mills Town Centre
The Erin Mills Town Centre is a shopping mall located in the Erin Mills area of Mississauga, Ontario Canada, at the corner of Erin Mills Parkway and Eglinton Avenue West. The mall is owned and managed by Cadillac Fairview. It opened in 1989. There was once a Cineplex Odeon movie theater but the...
in Mississauga, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was also filmed on-location for the scenes in New York City, New York. Scenes involving the train station were filmed at the Watchung Avenue Train Station in Montclair, New Jersey
Montclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
on New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
's Montclair-Boonton Line
Montclair-Boonton Line
The Montclair-Boonton Line is a commuter rail line of New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. It is part of the Hoboken Division. The line is a consolidation of three individual lines: the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad's Montclair Branch, which ran from Hoboken Terminal to Bay Street,...
.
Casting
Originally, the role of Lola Cep was offered to Hilary DuffHilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
. After Duff backed out of the film, Freaky Friday
Freaky Friday (2003 film)
Freaky Friday is a 2003 film based on the novel of the same name by Mary Rodgers. It stars Lindsay Lohan as Anna Coleman and Jamie Lee Curtis as her mother. In the film their bodies are switched due to an enchanted Chinese fortune cookie...
s Lindsay Lohan was cast as Lola. "The part that stuck out to me most about the story was how different Lola is," says Lohan. "She's really interesting. As outgoing as she is, she keeps a lot in and I think it's really good to see how her character develops throughout the story." Producer Robert Shapiro
Robert Shapiro
Robert Leslie Shapiro is an American civil litigator and senior partner in the Los Angeles-based law firm Glaser Weil Fink Jacobs Howard Avchen & Shapiro, LLP. Shapiro is most recognized for being part of the defense team which successfully defended O.J. Simpson in 1995 from the charges that he...
says, "Lindsay Lohan is absolutely a 500-watt bulb. She's delightful to watch, she's a typical teenager, and she's very wise, and all of that comes across in the part of Lola."
Alison Pill
Alison Pill
Alison Courtney Pill is a Canadian actress best known from her roles in Milk, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Midnight in Paris.-Life and career:...
, who was known for starring in the Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
-biopic Me and My Shadows
Me and My Shadows
Me and My Shadows is the third album by singer Cliff Richard. Recorded with The Shadows, it was released in October 1960 and reached No. 2 in the UK album chart.No singles were to be officially released in the UK from the album...
, was cast as Lola's best friend, Ella Girard. "I think the attraction to play Ella is she changes so completely and goes through this huge transformation from being this girl who's terrified of being herself, and disappointing her parents, and disappointing their expectations, and at the end she says, 'I've just decided to be who I am.'" An unknown at the time, Megan Fox
Megan Fox
Megan Denise Fox is an American actress and model. She began her acting career in 2001 with several minor television and film roles, and played a regular role on Hope & Faith. In 2004, she launched her film career with a role in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen...
was cast as Carla Santini, Lola's nemesis (Brittany Gray
Brittany Gray
Brittany Gray is a Canadian actress, singer and dancer who found fame in her teenage years after her roles in the film Chicago and the musical The Producers...
played Fox's dance double). Eli Marienthal
Eli Marienthal
Eli David Marienthal is an American former child actor.-Personal life:Marienthal was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Marienthal, who manufactures bags made of organically grown cotton, and Joseph Cross, a journalist. Marienthal is Jewish and has two siblings, actors Harley Cross...
was cast as Sam, Lola's interest in high school and her friend. Marianthel had previously starred in Disney's film, The Country Bears. Glenne Headley was cast as Lola's mother, Karen, while Carol Kane
Carol Kane
Carolyn Laurie "Carol" Kane is an American actress. Kane has worked on the stage, on the screen and in television. She appeared on the television series Taxi in the early 1980s, as the wife of the character played by Andy Kaufman. She received two Emmy Awards for her work...
was cast as Miss Baggoli, who directs the school's play, Eliza Rocks. Tom McCamus
Tom McCamus
Tom McCamus is an award-winning Canadian film and theatre actor who is most widely known for his work on the science-fiction television show Mutant X....
appears as Lola's father, Calum, who is divorced from her mother and lives in New York City.
Reviews
Based on 88 reviews collected by Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, the film received an average 13% overall approval rating. Dennis Harvey of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
magazine commented in his review that "Based on Dyan Sheldon
Dyan Sheldon
Dyan Sheldon is an American novelist, who has written for adults, children and young adults. Originally from Brooklyn, she resides in London and has written a number of young adult novels as well as many picture books in a variety of genres. Her young adult science-fiction novel Perfect was...
's popular youth fiction, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen emerges a strained showcase for up-and-comer Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
as a sophisticated Big Apple
Big Apple
"The Big Apple" is a nickname for New York City. It was first popularized in the 1920s by John J. Fitz Gerald, a sports writer for the New York Morning Telegraph...
teen unhappily relocated to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Minimally funny comedy feels like a Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
pic that got boosted to theatrical after Lohan scored a hit opposite Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress and author. Although she was initially known as a "scream queen" because of her starring roles in several horror films early in her career, such as Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night and Terror Train, Curtis has since compiled a body of work that spans many...
in the Freaky Friday
Freaky Friday (2003 film)
Freaky Friday is a 2003 film based on the novel of the same name by Mary Rodgers. It stars Lindsay Lohan as Anna Coleman and Jamie Lee Curtis as her mother. In the film their bodies are switched due to an enchanted Chinese fortune cookie...
remake. Nonetheless, it should have a lock on the 7- to 12-year-old female demo for a couple weekends before finding longer tube/tape shelf life." Ultimate Disney
Ultimate Disney
The Ultimate Guide to Disney DVD is a website dedicated to covering Walt Disney home video releases with a focus on Disney DVD and Blu-ray. The site has been online since 2001 and acquired its own domain and online forum in 2003...
reviewed the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
saying that it "doesn't garner a recommendation as a film, and its DVD special features are as breezy and shallow as the movie itself. Lindsay Lohan fans and teenage girls are bound to be the most interested, and they might well enjoy it on the surface as light entertainment. But for others, one viewing may be more than enough."
Box office
Despite mostly negative critical reception, the film grossed a modest $9.3 million in its opening weekend (February 20–22, 2004), debuting at #2, right behind Adam SandlerAdam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
's 50 First Dates
50 First Dates
50 First Dates is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Segal and written by George Wing. The film stars Adam Sandler as a woman-chasing veterinarian and Drew Barrymore as an amnesiac, along with Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Lusia Strus, Blake Clark, and Dan Aykroyd.Most of the film...
. The film did fairly at the box office, grossing $29 million domestically and $33 million worldwide.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was released February 17, 2004 by Hollywood RecordsHollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
and features Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
, Lillix
Lillix
Lillix is a pop/rock band from Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada, formed under the name Tigerlily in 1997 when the early members were in high school. The band was originally composed of guitarist Tasha-Ray Evin, keyboardist Lacey-Lee Evin, bassist Louise Burns, and drummer Sierra Hills...
, Simple Plan
Simple Plan
Simple Plan is a Canadian pop punk band from Montréal, Québec. The band has had no line up changes since its inception in 1999. Members are Pierre Bouvier , Jeff Stinco , Sébastien Lefebvre , David Desrosiers and Chuck Comeau...
, and others various artists.
Awards
- 2004 - Won; Teen Choice Award for Choice Breakout Movie Star - Female (Lindsay Lohan)
External links
- Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen Disney site, with suppressible music and voice.